Indexing device for machine tools



Oct. 9, 1951 F. J. HENKEL INDEXING DEVICE FOR MACHINE TOOLS 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1945 I 122 I nuflnlllllllmmln Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INDEXING DEVICE FOR MACHINE TOOLS Ferdinand J; Henkel, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor to Lamina Diesand Tools, Inc., Berkley, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,491

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to machine tools and in particular, to indexing devices for use with machine tools.

'One object of this invention is to provide an indexin device for machine tools capable of being rapidly yet accurately shifted from one station to .another in a series of stations, yet accurately indexed by a fine adjustment at each station, for performing operations which are repeated at each station.

Another object is to provide an indexing device for machine tools capable of being shifted rapidly from station to station around its periphery by a manually operated mechanism, yet with the assurance that at each station the fine indexing mechanism will automatically and accurately fall into mesh at its intended location, with a micrometric fine adjustment for performing the indexing operation at each station.

Another object is to provide an indexing device for machine tools comprising a turntable rotated by a worm on a swinging worm shaft carrying an indexing head and having quick engagement and disengagement mechanism whereby to throw the worm in and out of mesh so that the turntable may be turned manually from one station to an--- other yet with the assurance that the worm will be re-en'gaged accurately without further adjustment, thereby avoiding the slow operation of cranking the indexing device by hand from sta tion to station.

Other objects and advantages of the inventio will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the indexing de vice according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, partly broken away to disclose the mechanism more clearly;

Figure 2 is afront elevation of the indexing de vice shown Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a central cross-section along the line 3--'-3 in Figure :1; i

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section along the worm shaft taken along the line '4---4 in Figure 1.;

and

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5 5 in Fi ure 1 through the quickeengagement mechanism.

2 of a machine tool, such as a milling machine. Secured to the base plate It, as by the set screws I3 is a cylindrical housing l lhaving a stepped top edge within which is an annular groove It for the reception of anti-friction bearing balls IT. The cylindrical housing It at the location adjacent the recesses I is provided with a recessed portion I8 (Figure 4) to provide space for manipulating a wrench in order to adjust the clamping bolts. The cylindrical housing I4 is also provided with an approximately tangential passageway IQ for the passage of a portion of the indexing mechanism hereinafter described.

The base plate H! is provided with a central recess 20 (Figure 3) therebeneath, and a central boss 2| rising therefrom and having a central bore 22 with annular recesses 23 and 24 at the top and bottom thereof. Mounted in the recesses 23 and 24 are antifriction bearing units 25 and 26, ballbearing assemblies being shown. Rotatably mounted in the anti-friction bearing units 25 and 26 within the bore 22 is a vertical shaft 21 having a retaining nut 28 threaded upon the lower end 29 thereof.

The upper end of the shaft 21 is enlarged to provide a head 39 to which is secured a hub 3|, as by the set screws 32. The hub 3| is provided at its upper portion with a central conical boss 33 with a tapered outer surface 34 forming, in effect, a tapered shaft of relatively large diameter in proportion to its length. Mounted on the tapered surface 34 and having a correspondingly conical mating bore 35 is a turntable 36. The latter is secured by the set screws 3'! (Figure 1) to the hub 3| and its undersurface 38 at its central portion rests upon the top surface 39 of the hub 3|. Near its periphery, the bottom surface 38 of the turntable 36 rests upon the bearing balls IT. The turntable 36 is provided with transverse T-slots 40 and 4| (Figures 1 and 4) for the insertion of clamping bolts for the securing of work pieces upon the upper surface 42 of the turntable 36. The boss 33 is centrally provided with a counter sunk threaded bore 4-3 for the reception of a screw plug 44.

Secured to the lower surface 45 of the boss 3|, as by theset screws 46, is a worm wheel 41 having a central bore 48 co-extensive with a bore 49 in the underside of the hub 3|, yet of sufficient diameter to provide a clearance between it and the adjacent surfaces of the boss 2| and head 30.

The worm wheel. is provided with peripheral teeth 50 directed substantially to the axis of the shaft 21. Meshing with the teeth 50 are the teeth 5| of a worm 52 forming a part of a worm shaft 53 (Figure 4), the inner end 54 of which is of reduced diameter and rotatably mounted in anti-friction bearings 55 and 56 disposed in annular recesses 51 at opposite ends of a bore 58 in a head or swivel bearing 59 on the top of a vertical shaft 50. The bore 58 and the axis of rotation of the shaft 53 are at an angle to the axis of rotation of the shaft 50 such that the worm teeth 5| will mesh with the worm wheel teeth 50 when the latter are vertical. The axis of rotation of the worm shaft 53 is therefore tilted at the pitch angle of the worm 52. The shaft 60 is rotatably mounted in anti-friction bearings GI and 62 mounted in annular recesses 53 and 04 located at the top and bottom of a bore 55 in the base plate to. The lower end 56 of the shaft 50 is threaded to receive a retaining nut 87. Similarly, the inner end 58 of the worm shaft 53 is threaded to receive a retaining nut 59. Out-' wardly of the worm 52, the worm shaft 53 is provided with a reduced diameter portion I rotatably mounted in anti-friction bearings II seated in an annular recess 12 at the inner end of an elongated cavity 13 in a block E4, the top and bottom I and I5 of which (Figure 5) slidably engage the opposed parallel surfaces TI and T8 of the housing I4 and base plate I0, the surfaces I1 and I8 forming guideways for the horizontal swinging of the block I4 around the vertical axis of the shaft 50. The block I4 is slidable to and fro between the opposite sides of the passageway I9 (Figure 1) in the cylindrical hous ing I4. 1

At the outer end of the block I4, the cavity I3 terminates'in a bore 19 in which is mounted a sleeve 80 serving as a bearing for the outer end of the reduced diameter portion of the worm shaft 53. Mounted on the forward end 81 of the block I4 and secured thereto as by the set screws 82, i an indexing dial 83 surrounding the outer end of the bearing sleeve 80. The indexing dial 83 is provided with the usual rows of holes 84 which are engaged by the small end of a pin 85 (Figure 1) reciprocably mounted in a boss 86 on the end of an indexing arm 81 and having a head 88 (Figure 2) connected to the pin 85 so as to reciprocate the latter and insert or withdraw its small end from the holes 84.

The arm 81 is slidably mounted in a guide groove 89 (Figure 4) in a block 90 and held in any adjusted position by a pressure plate GI which is engaged by a clamping screw 82 threaded into the block 90. The block 90 is provided with an elongated slot 93 of sufficient width for its side walls to slide freely past the reduced diameter end portion 04 of the worm shaft 53, yet held in position by the retaining bolt 95 and washer 96. The block 90, rearwardly of the slot 93, is provided with a recess 91 of sufiicient size to permit the slight swinging, through a narrow angle, of a pin 98 seated in a radial socket 09 in the ,reduced diameter portion 94of the worm shaft 53. Threaded through the block 90 into opposite sides of the recess 91 are adjusting screws I00. The inner ends of these screws engage the opposite sides of the pin 98 (Figure 2). As a consequence, when one of the screws I00 i tightened and the other is loosened, the pin 08 is swung, turning the worm shaft 53 through a slight angle to permit the small end of the pin 85 on the arm 81 to enter one of theholes 84, if it happens to be slightly out of line therewith. The screws I00 are provided with lock nuts IOI for securing them in any desired position of adjustment. The swinging of the arm 81 and the 4 inserting of the end of the pin into any particular hole, is facilitated by the provision of stop members I02 and I03 having disc-like overlying inner portions I04 and I05 respectively (Figure 4) which are held in frictional yielding engagement between the inner surface of the block and the outer surface of the dial 83. The positions of the stop members I02 and I03 may be altered merely by pushing them with the fingers with sufficient force to overcome the friction holding them in their adjusted positions.

Secured to the side I05 of the block I4 as by the set screws I0'I is a bar I08 to which an ear I09 is secured, as by the set screws IIO (Figures 1 and 5) The ear I09 carries a pin I II engaging slots H2 having angled end notches H3. The ear I00 enters and engages the walls of a slot I I4 (Figure 5) in the arm II5 of a bell crank lever IIB, the slots 2 being formed in the arm H5. The other arm Ill of the bell crank lever H6 project outwardly beyond the periphery of the turntable 36 so as to provide a handle. The bell crank lever IIB is provided with a pivot bore II8 for receiving the upper end of a pivot screw IIS threaded into a bore I20 in the base plate I0 (Figure 5). The handle III projects outwardly through an elongated passageway I2I in the cylindrical casing I4 (Figure 2).

The cylindrical casing I4 near its upper edge I5 is provided with an indexing pointer I22 (Figure 2) secured thereto as by the screws I23 engaging the slots I24. The periphery of the turntable 36 is beveled as at I25 and at its lower edge is provided with graduations I26 registering with the pointer I22.

In operation, the device is clamped to the bed of a machine tool, such as a milling machine, by bolts engaging the T-slots thereof and secured in the slots I2 of the recesses II in the base plate I0. The work piece, such as a die in which peripherally spaced slots are to be formed, is clamped to the upper surface 42 of the turntable 36 by mean of bolts engaging the T-slots 40 and II. The handle II! is swung to the left (Figure 1) to swing the worm shaft 53 and worm .52

toward the worm wheel 41, so thatthe worm teeth 5I mesh with the worm wheel teeth 58. When this occurs, the pin I II enters the angled locking notch H3. The stop arms I02 and I03 and the crank arm 81 are adjusted so that the pin 85 will enter a particular set of holes, the screws I00 being likewise adjusted, if necessary, in the manner previously described. The arm 81 and the work piece upon the turntable 35 are adjusted relatively to one another until the pointer I22 and the pin 85 in the holes 84 are in suitable starting position relatively to the cutter of the machine tool.

After the out has been made, or a series of cuts at one station, with the aid of the indexing dial 83 and crank arm 81, the handle In (Figure 1) is swung to the right. This action swings the pin III out of the locking notch II3 into the slots I I2. As the pin H3 is thus caused to travel along the slots II2, the ear I00 swings the block I4 to the right (Figure 1) disengaging the worm 52 from the worm wheel 41.

The previous setting of the turntable 35 have. ing been noted, according to the reading of the pointer I 22 on the graduations I25, ,the turntable, 36 is then rotated manually to the next station at which the same cut ora series of cuts are to; be made. With the worm 5| outof mesh with the worm wheel 41, the indexing arm. 81 isreturned to the hole 84 denoting its starting position. The

handle H1 is then swung to the left, whereupon the motion of the slots 1 l2 causes the pin l I l and the ear N19 to swing the lock 14 and worm shaft 53 to the left around the pivot shaft 60, causing the worm 52 to mesh with the Worm wheel 41, whereupon the pin I l l comes to rest in the locking notches H3 (Figure 1). The cut, or series of cuts is now repeated, whereupon the turntable 36 is moved to a new station by repeating the foregoing procedure.

This invention is well adapted to quickly and accurately produce work pieces having sets of spaced recesses, slots, holes or the like at intervals around a work piece. An example of such a work piece is a die for use in stamping out laminations of electric motors and transformers. The use of this invention enables these to be produced quickly and accurately without the necessity of having to crank the indexing mechanism by hand all the way around from one station to another in order to locate the turntable 36 relatively to the cutter at each station. Danger of error is also eliminated since the indexing arm 81 is cranked only by a small amount at each station and not between stations. The invention is particularly advantageous in repeating sets of cuts which are spaced a long distance apart around the periphery of the work piece.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An indexing device for machine tools, comprising a base, a work holding turntable rotatably mounted on said base and having work holder thereon, a worm gear mounted beneath said turntable and operatively connected thereto for rotation thereof, a worm movable into and out of mesh with said worm gear, indexing mechanism connected to said worm for applying to said turntable and measuring the motion imparted thereto by a predetermined motion of said worm, a worm mount pivotally mounted on said base. a

lever pivotally mounted on said base, and pinand-slot mechanism responsive to the swinging of said lever for swinging said worm mount into a position wherein said worm meshes with said worm gear.

2. An indexing device for machine tools, comprising a base, a Work holding turntable rotatably mounted on said base and having work holder thereon, a worm gear mounted beneath said turntable and operatively connected thereto for rotation thereof, a worm movable into and out of mesh with said worm gear, indexing mechanism connected to said worm for applying to said turntable and measuring the motion imparted thereto by a predetermined motion of said worm, a worm mount pivotally mounted on said base, a lever pivotally mounted on said base, and pinand-slot mechanism responsive to the swinging ofv said lever for swinging said worm mount into a position wherein said worm meshes with said worm gear, said pin-and-slot mechanism including a locking slot connected thereto and operable to releasably lock said pin therein whereby to releasably lock said worm in mesh with said worm ear.

FERDINAND J. HENKEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 531,817 Warren Jan. 1, 1895 1,100,522 Brown et al June 16, 1914 1,737,002 De Vlieg Nov. 26, 1929 1,868,016 Marsilius et a1 July 16, 1932 1,946,835 Buhr Feb. 13, 1934 2,059,753 Scott et a1. Nov. 3, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 128,473 Great Britain June 26, 1919 237,698 Germany 1, E Aug. 30, 1911 

